Favorite Ingredients Friday for November 2

ALMOND KISS COOKIES


1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. almond extract
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
Sugar for dipping
40 milk chocolate kisses with almonds, unwrapped
GLAZE:
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 Tblsp. milk
4 tsp. raspberry jam
1/4 tsp. almond extract

In mixing bowl cream butter & sugars. Beat in egg & extract. Combine flour, baking soda & salt; sift into creamed mixture. Cover & chill for 1 hour or until easy to handle.
Roll dough into 1-inch balls, then dip in additional sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 325º for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie. Cool on wire racks. When cool, place wax paper under racks, then combine glaze ingredients and drizzle over cookies. Let stand until glaze is set. Yield: 40 cookies.

This is a recipe from an older Taste of Home magazine. I love to make these for Valentine’s Day, but the pink drizzle and prettiness of the cookies makes them a natural for a tea or other ladies’ occasion. And they taste as wonderful as they look!


HUGS & KISSES COOKIES

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 Tblsp. milk
2 1/4 cups flour
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup chocolate chips
9-ounce bag chocolate kisses or hugs, unwrapped

Heat oven to 350º. Beat together butter, sugars, and vanilla until blended. Add eggs and milk; beat well.

Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, blending well. Stir in chocolate chips.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place on parchment-lined cookie sheets. Bake 11 minutes.

Cool 1 minute; press a chocolate kiss or hug into the center of each cookie. Cool another minute before removing cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Yield: About 4 dozen cookies.

These were a big favorite when our kids were away at school. Each week I would send a tin of cookies back with them, to get them and their friends through the week.

CRANBERRY OATMEAL COOKIES

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. orange extract
1 1/3 cups flour
2 tsp. apple pie spice OR pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries (craisins)
1 cup white chocolate chips

In a large bowl beat the shortening and butter for 30 seconds, till softened. Add the sugars and beat well. Add the eggs and extracts; beat again. Sift together the flour, spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; stir into the shortening mixture. Stir in the remaining ingredients.

Drop the mixture by rounded teaspoonfuls (I use a cookie scoop) onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Flatten each one slightly with the bottom of a drinking glass which has been greased and dipped in sugar. (You will only need to grease it for the first use.) Bake at 375º for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are golden. Makes 3-4 dozen cookies, I think -- I didn't keep track.)

I adapted this from Cook & Tell, my favorite cooking newsletter. Some of my best recipes come from this source.

When I made cookies for a Sunday evening gathering, these were the favorite out of all the cookies I brought. I used apple pie spice, being low on pumpkin pie spice (in either case, I make my own). People commented on the nice flavor added by the spice.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CUP COOKIES

Cookies:
1 cup chocolate chips
2 squares unsweetened baking chocolate
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter flavor crisco®
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. plus 2 Tblsp. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 c. finely chopped peanuts (optional)
36 Reese’s® miniature peanut butter cups
Drizzle: 1 c. peanut butter chips

Heat oven to 350º. Melt the chocolate chips and baking chocolate together in a bowl in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stovetop.
In a large bowl, beat the sugar and crisco together until blended and crumbly. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the salt and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add the melted chocolate slowly. Mix until well blended. Shape dough into 1 1/4” balls. Dip in nuts if using. Place the balls 2” apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350º for 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Immediately place a miniature into the center of each cookie. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet before removing to racks to cool completely.
For drizzle, place the peanut butter chips in a heavy zip-top sandwich bag. Seal the bag and microwave 1 minute at medium. Knead bag. Repeat until melted and smooth. Cut a tiny tip off the corner of the bag. Squeeze out drizzle over cookies. Yield: 3 dozen cookies.

These cookies are simply wonderful!!

CHOCOLATE MALTED COOKIES

1 cup butter-flavor crisco
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup malted milk powder
2 Tblsp. chocolate syrup
1 Tblsp. vanilla
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
1 cup milk chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients; beat for 2 minutes. Add egg. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture, mixing well after each addition. Stir in chocolate chips. Shape into 1” balls and place about 2” apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375º for 10-11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: 3-4 dozen cookies.

I love malted milk flavor, so I think these are the world’s best chocolate chip cookies. The original recipe called for making them larger -- rolling them in 2” balls -- but you will get a lot more cookies this way.

CRUNCHY TOFFEE CRACKLE COOKIES

1 cup butter-flavor Crisco®
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup Skor® baking bits
Sugar for dipping

In mixing bowl,cream together shortening and sugar. Add egg and extracts. Sift together dry ingredients and gradually add to the creamed mixture, mixing thoroughly. Add the toffee bits, mixing with hands if necessary. Preheat oven to 350º.
Shape dough into 1” balls; dip tops in sugar. Place on parchment or teflon-lined sheets. Bake at 350º for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

When I was a child, a bakery in our town made cookies that looked and tasted a lot like this. Over the years I tried to find a similar recipe but had no success. This one, which I improvised from another recipe I found, comes pretty close.